5 Projects to Whiten and Brighten Your Kitchen

Here are fun, creative ways to add the timeless beauty of white to your kitchen.

When it comes to kitchen colors, white is always popular. A 2013 National Kitchen & Bath Association survey found that 67% of respondents would choose white kitchen cabinets over anything else, a 20% jump in the last two years.

Why white? It’s bright, goes with everything, and never falls out of style. And if you’re germ-a-phobic, white lets you easily see the dirt you’ll want to wipe away.

So we asked a few of our favorite bloggers to show how a little bright white perked up their tired kitchens. Their projects are clearly inspiring.

Bright White Floor

When Jane, of the “Modern Jane Design“ blog, moved the island in her newly remodeled kitchen, it left an ugly unfinished patch in her already beat-up, 104-year-old wood floors.

White Island Tops Off Remodel

Heather, of the “At the Picket Fence” blog, finished off her white kitchen remodel with a beadboard kitchen island topped with butcher block and fancied up with turned legs. She has a great tutorial on how to build your own island. I’ll give you a preview: Newel posts will be involved.

I love Heather’s tip on spreading a wood conditioner on a butcher block top before staining, which makes the wood accept the stain more evenly.

By the way, that slate countertop is really laminate. At $10-$15 per sq. ft., you can’t beat the low price and upscale look.

Dishwasher Facelift

One way to keep white from becoming monotonous is to add texture. That’s what Sasha of “Lemonade Makin’ Mama“ did when she glued white beadboard to the face of her plain white dishwasher. I can’t think of anything that beadboard doesn’t make better-looking. Little touches like that give rooms a unique look and feel.

The beadboard was part of a larger kitchen transformation that gave Sasha’s bland, white kitchen a bit of spice. She painted the island a deep grey and installed white Kashmir granite, which provides a glassy shine that reflects all the other cool things in her kitchen.

Paint It Yourself

The quickest and most economical way to turn your kitchen white is to paint the cabinets yourself. Of course, easier said than done.

But Brooke, of the “All Things Thrifty“ blog, will guide you through the process — all 19 steps. Hint: A small air compressor will be involved.

“I don’t want brush marks, or painted-over hinges,” Brooke says. “I want you to do it professionally so that you aren’t mad at yourself a year from now. “

is an award-winning, Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer who contributes to real estate and home improvement sites. In her spare time (yeah, right!), she gardens, manages three dogs, and plots to get her 21-year-old out of her basement.